This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you when you make a purchase. Find out more in the Disclosure Policy
Looking for a light and crispy crouton recipe? This homemade recipe for Easy Whole Wheat Croutons is a quick and easy option. And the resulting croutons are amazing.
Tender and flavorful croutons that add just a bit of crunch to your salad or soup. You will wonder why you never made them at home before.
Restaurant croutons are almost always light and crispy. I've found that when making a salad and garnishing it with store-bought options, it is hard to replace that light texture.
But, when you make a batch of homemade croutons you will be amazed at how simple it is to do and how light, crispy, and flavorful they turn out.
Ingredients
A few simple ingredients and an oven are all you need to make these croutons. You can use any type of sliced bread. Whole wheat, whole grain, premade, or homemade.
To crisp the bread extra virgin olive oil is drizzled over the bread cubes.
Season with onion and garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Croutons From Whole Wheat Bread
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Step 2. Cut bread slices into one-inch cubes and place in a bowl.
Step 3. Drizzle with olive oil. Reserve 1 tablespoon to brush on after turning. Toss to combine.
Step 4. Sprinkle bread cubes with onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss bread cubes again. Spread into a single layer on the baking tray.
Step 5. Place the tray in preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Take a spatula and turn the croutons. Brush the cubes lightly with the remaining oil.
Step 6. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the croutons are crispy to the touch. Remove from oven and cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
In order to keep the light and crispy texture, store the croutons in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Croutons can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just remove the amount you need, and let come to room temperature.
Whole Wheat Croutons can be made with homemade whole-wheat bread or store-bought bread.
When choosing store-bought bread to make croutons, look for the whole grain stamp. This stamp assures you that the bread has a certain amount of whole grains per serving. To quality as 100% whole grain, each serving will have at least 16 grams of whole grains.
To learn more about whole grains, read my post Get the Scoop on Whole Grains. 
What to Serve With Homemade Croutons
Homemade crispy croutons are so good you may want to eat them as a snack, but are great used as a garnish. Add to a salad, like Caesar Salad, or as a topping for a soup, like Acorn Squash and Sweet Potato Soup.
Other Garnish and Condiment Recipes for You
Light and Crispy Homemade Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 slices whole wheat bread cubed
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper coursely ground
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes.
- Drizzle olive oil over bread cubes. Sprinkle with onion, and garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Lightly toss until oil is absorbed.
- Place of parchment paper in baking sheet.
- Spread bread cubes in a single layer on baking sheet.
- Bake bread cubes for 5 minutes. Turn with a spatula. Bake for 5 additional minutes until bread cubes are light and crispy.
- Use as a garnish on salads or soups.
Nutrition
October 2022 Update: Added images and added Instruction and Other Recipe sections.
Leave a Reply